2005-2009 Mustang Information on The S197 {Gen1}

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Old Jun 16, 2004 | 02:23 PM
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sorry if this has been posted. i tried a search to make sure i'm not being repetative, but i didn't find anything.

i was wondering what gas type would be best for the 05? would stepping up the octane to the premieum be better? or is the regular ol' unleaded the way to go.

i've heard high octane on some cars can be more damaging than good, but i don't really know a whole lot on the subject...so i thought i'd ask the pros.

besides the prices sucking royally, i'm just curious. i want to make sure i do what is best for the engine and the life of the car.

B)
Old Jun 16, 2004 | 02:23 PM
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I'm sure it will be set to run on 87 like the current GTs.
Old Jun 16, 2004 | 02:24 PM
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The recommended octane will be stated in the owners manual. My 1997 Probe GT specifically calls for "at least" 89 octane.
Old Jun 16, 2004 | 02:40 PM
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No point in exceeding the manufacturer's recommended octane. Higher octane means the fuel will resist early ignition at higher compression ratios. So, engines running high compression will need higher octane to avoid knocking/pinging, which is premature ignition due to the pressure inside the cylinder.
Old Jun 16, 2004 | 02:51 PM
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Higher octane gasoline also has a lower BTU output which translates into slightly lower M.P.G., it also is a waste of money.
Old Jun 16, 2004 | 04:06 PM
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good to know. plain ol' petrol it is then. i'm sure the manufacturer knows best.
Old Jun 16, 2004 | 04:51 PM
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Thank you for searching prior to posting, much appreciated

What's premium? I just pop 87 in, and every once in a while baby with Premium or Plus
Old Jun 16, 2004 | 05:54 PM
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Premium is usually 93 octane, I think. I accidentally grabbed the wrong nozzle once when filling up my motorcycle, and it did NOT like 93 octane at all, so I'd just stick to regular.
Old Jun 16, 2004 | 06:00 PM
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does running plus or premium on occasion, like icwspiker3 said, beneficial? i think i've heard an *old dads tale* that said, "putting in a tank of the good stuff on occasion will help to keep the engine cleaner and running better."

i'm guessing this may be bending the facts a bit...and if putting in the wrong octane gas would make the engine knock and what not, i don't know how it would benefit it. i guess i've heard it is almost like putting in one of those gas additives to you take to clean your fuel injectors or what have you. i personally haven't used any of those yet, didn't know how well that kind of thing worked.
Old Jun 16, 2004 | 06:03 PM
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What will keep your engine clean is buying from the gas companies with, well, cleaner gases. Esso/Exxon is one of the dirtiest, and Chevron is one of the cleanest. Not sure about the American gas stations though.
Old Jun 16, 2004 | 06:42 PM
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Originally posted by Decipher@June 16, 2004, 6:06 PM
What will keep your engine clean is buying from the gas companies with, well, cleaner gases. Esso/Exxon is one of the dirtiest, and Chevron is one of the cleanest. Not sure about the American gas stations though.
Buying your gas from a cleaner or more respected brand name is a moot point here in the lower 48, unless you live near a refinery. The rest of us get our gas from a common pipeline that is shared by all manufacturers to distribute the product nationally. The gas is made to a "generic" standard at the refinery,put into the pipeline, it is then custom tailored at the fuel depot in each major city,then delivered to your local gas station awaiting your purchase. Just because you buy your gas at "BP" does not mean they made it, it could have been made by ARCO, EXXON, SHELL or any other oil company
Old Jun 16, 2004 | 06:50 PM
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I just put in a fuel additive to clean the engine when I do an oil change. I found that using 91 octane is a waste of money in our Tribute. It gets worse fuel economy.
Old Jun 16, 2004 | 07:09 PM
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bottom line.. if the car asks for 87, that's all you need, any more is just a waste of money.

If you car calls for 91 and you put 87, then you will be losing out in some respect.
Old Jun 16, 2004 | 09:14 PM
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Originally posted by 2ndGenStangOwner+June 16, 2004, 5:45 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (2ndGenStangOwner @ June 16, 2004, 5:45 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Decipher@June 16, 2004, 6:06 PM
What will keep your engine clean is buying from the gas companies with, well, cleaner gases. Esso/Exxon is one of the dirtiest, and Chevron is one of the cleanest. Not sure about the American gas stations though.
Buying your gas from a cleaner or more respected brand name is a moot point here in the lower 48, unless you live near a refinery. The rest of us get our gas from a common pipeline that is shared by all manufacturers to distribute the product nationally. The gas is made to a "generic" standard at the refinery,put into the pipeline, it is then custom tailored at the fuel depot in each major city,then delivered to your local gas station awaiting your purchase. Just because you buy your gas at "BP" does not mean they made it, it could have been made by ARCO, EXXON, SHELL or any other oil company [/b][/quote]
As I said, I'm not sure about American stations. Here in Canada, there is a big difference between the brands. Esso is filthy, Petro Canada is so-so, Chevron is great, and Mohawk is extremely clean - just to name a few.
Old Jun 16, 2004 | 10:39 PM
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It really depends...I talked to a mechanic friend of mine, and he said that the real difference is in the additives...some of them actually lower the evaporation point of the fuel, and can cause some problems.

Another mechanic friend told me to only buy gas at the major stations...not from ma and pa shops. I had been having trouble with a check engine light due to an O2 sensor tripping...I switched back to the name brands (I had been using Costco gas) and voila! Haven't seen the light since...I was all ready to change out the sensor too...
Old Jun 16, 2004 | 10:50 PM
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newer harleys come with a sticker on em recommeding 91 or better. I just figure it had somethin to do with epa emissions. bikes are real lean from the factory just to satisfy epa.

dont know if octane affects that at all...
Old Jun 17, 2004 | 12:50 AM
  #17  
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There are that many chemicals in our petrol (what with low sulphur, ultra low sulphur, optimax etc etc) that it is hard to know which is best. I think that Shell has one of the cleanest and best performing (hence why Ferrari F1 use them) petrols on the market. I also think that BP claim to have the cleanest as well!
Old Jun 17, 2004 | 03:48 AM
  #18  
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Originally posted by 2ndGenStangOwner@June 16, 2004, 2:54 PM
Higher octane gasoline also has a lower BTU output which translates into slightly lower M.P.G., it also is a waste of money.
stupid question :

Here in germany we have unleaded/normal fuel: 91 octan, premium/super: 95 octan and super+/optimax: 100 octan.


has the GT or V6 more power with more octan?

My neighbour drives his bmw 525i with unleaded and sometimes with premium fuel (91/94 octan). He says: "More octan, more power and higher topspeed."
Old Jun 17, 2004 | 05:49 AM
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Originally posted by steve19970@June 16, 2004, 10:42 PM
I had been having trouble with a check engine light due to an O2 sensor tripping...I switched back to the name brands (I had been using Costco gas) and voila! Haven't seen the light since...I was all ready to change out the sensor too...

i'm having a check engine light problem right now as well. i thought i may have gotten a batch of bad gas, Randalls brand, so i put in premium for 1 tank to see if it would help.

nothing has changed yet, but i'm still hopeful. if it doesn't go off, i'll put in in the shop soon. all it had to do was last until i traded it in on the mustang...what a bummer.

has the GT or V6 more power with more octan?

My neighbour drives his bmw 525i with unleaded and sometimes with premium fuel (91/94 octan). He says: "More octan, more power and higher topspeed."
maybe that's true. i have a few friends who use normal gas in their car for every day driving, but when they go to the track to race they put in the high octane stuff out there. or at least that's what they tell me.
Old Jun 17, 2004 | 07:21 AM
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afaik the formula to determine the octane number is different from the U.S...



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